Digital Storytelling Research Design Deep Learning Tool

8/2/2019 Digital Storytelling Research Design Deep Learning Tool

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Researching and Evaluating Digital Storytelling as a Deep Learning Tool

Helen C. Barrett

The REFLECT Initiative

United States

[email protected]

Abstract

This roundtable will discuss Digital Storytelling as a tool for deep learning, and provide a framework for

researching and evaluating the process. An emerging theory of storytelling as learning and reflection on

practice will be discussed, as well as the role of digital storytelling in teacher education. This roundtable

will focus on a proposed research design to collect data about digital storytelling in education; several

digital storytelling rubrics used to assess completed projects; and a Literature Review on Digital

Storytelling.

Digital Storytelling: Convergence

This figure graphically demonstrates that Digital Storytelling facilitates the convergence of four

student-centered learning strategies: student engagement, reflection for deep learning, project-

based learning, and the effective integration of technology into instruction.

Figure 1. Convergence of Student-Centered Learning Strategies


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Digital Storytelling Research Design

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Developed for the Kean University Digital Storytelling Conference

June 2005

If Digital Storytelling is to become accepted in todays schools, it will be important to collect data to be

able to draw conclusions about the impact that the process has on student learning, motivation and

engagement and how teaching practices and strategies change with technology integration through digital

storytelling.

This document outlines a potential study of the issues related to learning and reflection through digital

storytelling. The data collected will provide research-based evidence on the effect digital storytelling has

on student learning, motivation, and engagement. To that end we will seek to identify what conditions

facilitate and encourage students to care about their work and be proud of it. Can we identify the

conditions necessary to motivate students to reflect on their learning as a record of their growth over time

and as a story of their learning? Some of the key research questions that will guide the study include:

How do digital stories provide evidence of deep learning? Under what conditions can digital stories be successfully used to support assessment for learning? Under what conditions do students take ownership of their digital stories? What are the benefits of developing digital stories as perceived by students, teachers,

administrators, and/or parents?

What are perceived obstacles to implementing digital storytelling with P-12 students and how canthey be overcome?

How does the quality of paper-based reflection differ from digital stories?Data could be generated through surveys, on-site observations, online discussions, and journals, as well as

the aggregation of student performance-based assessment data.

The research should draw upon the established literature and theoretical constructs with validated

research instruments and data collection protocols. A more comprehensive literature review is included at

the end of this document. These resources could include:

Reflection: Jennifer Moon, Donald Schn, John Dewey Storytelling as Learning: Maxine Alterio & Janice McDrury Motivation: Self-Determination Theory, Intrinsic Motivation (Deci & Ryan):

http://www.psych.rochester.edu/SDT/

Student Engagement and Qualities of Engaging Schoolwork (Schlechty Center):http://schlechtycenter.org

Technology Competency: ISTE NETS-T and NETS-S plus Essential Conditions Portfolio Development: Teachers (Lyons, Shulman), K-12 Students (Hebert, Davies),

Post-Secondary (Yancey, Cambridge, Tosh) Assessment FORLearning: Stiggins, Davies, QCA: http://www.qca.org.uk/afl/ Project-Based Learning: Buck Institute for Education

(http://www.bie.org/pbl/index.php ) and (http://www.bie.org/research/pbl/index.php ) and

George Lucas Educational Foundation

(http://www.edutopia.org/php/keyword.php?id=037 )


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DESIRED OUTCOMES

(HYPOTHESES)

RESEARCH QUESTIONS RESEARCH METHOD DATA COLLECTION

INSTRUMENTS/

RESOURCES

How do digital stories

provide evidence of deep

learning? Deep learning:

- involves reflection- is developmental,

- is integrative,

- is self-directive, and

- is lifelong

Teachers assess students

level of reflection

Student reflections in digitalstories

Student attitude toward self-

directed learning

Rubric on Reflection

(based on Moon)

Random review ofstudent stories

Deci & Ryan??

Digital Storytelling

enhances student

learning.

Under what conditions can

digital stories be

successfully used to

demonstrate assessment for

learning?

Teacher Reflections on

implementation process

Observations in schools

Conversations with teachers

and administrators

Optional: student test data

Postings in online course

or teacher blog

Onsite observation

checklist

C-BAM Instrument

Optional: site-delivered

student test scores


enhances student

motivation.

Questionnaire about

Motivation and Learning

(students)

Self-Determination

Theory questionnaires

(Deci & Ryan)


enhances student

engagement.

Under what conditions do

students take ownership of

their digital stories?

Questionnaire about Level

of Student Engagement

and 10 qualities of

engaging schoolwork

Student Focus Groups

Schlechty Center Theory

of Engagement and

WOW instruments?

Questions to be

developed (based on

Tosh)

What are the benefits of

developing digital stories as

perceived by students,

teachers, administrators,

and/or parents?

Teacher Reflections &

Interviews

Student Questionnaire

Parent Questionnaire

Administrator Questionnaire


or teacher blog

What are perceived

obstacles to implementing

digital storytelling with

students and how can they

be overcome?

Teacher Reflections and

Interviews

Student Questionnaire or

Focus Groups


or teacher blog

To be developed

How does the quality of

paper-based reflection differ

from digital stories?

Teacher Reflections &

Interviews

Digital Storytelling Rubric


or teacher blog

Technology Skills

Assessment - Teachers

- Students

ISTE NETS-T

ISTE NETS-S

Digital Storytelling is

more effective than

paper-based reflection.

Developing digital

stories builds technology

skills.

What are the skills

necessary to effectively

implement digital stories?

Storytelling/Reflection

Facilitation Skills

Teachers

To be developed

What are the characteristicsof the study participants?

Demographic Questionnaire teachers & students

To be developedDigital Storytellingbenefits all learners and

all schools What are characteristics of

school sites?

NETS Essential Conditions

plus local school site

information

Self-assessment plus

onsite observation/

interviews


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Digital Storytelling Rubric (Based on several rubrics posted online at:http://rubistar.4teachers.org)

CATEGORY Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs Improvement

Point of View -

PurposeEstablishes a purpose earlyon and maintains a clearfocus throughout.

Establishes a purpose earlyon and maintains focus formost of the presentation.

There are a few lapses infocus, but the purpose isfairly clear.

It is difficult to figure out thepurpose of the presentation.

Point of View -

Awareness of

Audience

Strong awareness ofaudience in the design.

Students can clearly explainwhy they felt thevocabulary, audio andgraphics chosen fit the

target audience.

Some awareness ofaudience in the design.

Students can partiallyexplain why they felt thevocabulary, audio andgraphics chosen fit the

target audience.

Some awareness of audiencein the design. Students find it

difficult to explain how thevocabulary, audio andgraphics chosen fit the targetaudience.

Limited awareness of theneeds and interests of the

target audience.

Dramatic Question Realization is dramatically

different from expectation.

Realization differs

noticeably from expectation.

Realization barely differs

from the expectation.

Realization and expecation

do not differ.

Voice - Consistency Voice quality is clear and

consistently audiblethroughout the presentation.

Voice quality is clear and

consistently audiblethroughout the majority (85-

95%) of the presentation.

Voice quality is clear and

consistently audible throughsome (70-84%)of the

presentation.

Voice quality needs more

attention.

Voice -

Conversational StyleUses a conversational stylethroughout.

Uses a conversational stylethe majority (85-95%)of thetime

Uses a conversational stylemost (70-84%)of the time.

Presentation style isprimarily monologue.

Voice - Pacing The pace (rhythm and voicepunctuation) fits the story

line and helps the audiencereally "get into" the story.

Occasionally speaks too fastor too slowly for the story

line. The pacing (rhythmand voice punctuation) isrelatively engaging for theaudience.

Tries to use pacing (rhythmand voice punctuation), but

it is often noticeable that thepacing does not fit the storyline. Audience is notconsistently engaged.

No attempt to match the paceof the storytelling to the

story line or the audience.

Soundtrack -

Originality

All of the music is original. Most (over half) of the

music is original.

Some of the music is

original.

None of the music is

original.

Soundtrack -Emotion Music stirs a rich emotionalresponse that matches the

story line well.

Music stirs a rich emotionalresponse that somewhat

matches the story line.

Music is ok, and notdistracting, but it does not

add much to the story.

Music is distracting,inappropriate, OR was not

used.

Images Images create a distinct

atmosphere or tone thatmatches different parts ofthe story. The images maycommunicate symbolismand/or metaphors.

Images create an

atmosphere or tone thatmatches some parts of thestory. The images maycommunicate symbolismand/or metaphors.

An attempt was made to use

images to create anatmosphere/tone but itneeded more work. Imagechoice is logical.

Little or no attempt to use

images to create anappropriate atmosphere/tone

Economy The story is told withexactly the right amount of

detail throughout. It doesnot seem too short nor doesit seem too long.

The story composition istypically good, though it

seems to drag somewhat ORneed slightly more detail inone or two sections.

The story seems to needmore editing. It is noticeably

too long or too short in morethan one section.

The story needs extensiveediting. It is too long or too

short to be interesting.

Duration of

PresentationLength of presentation was4 minutes.

Length of presentation was3 minutes.

Length of presentation was 2minutes.

Presentation was less than 2minutes long OR more than4 minutes.

Based on Scott County Schools (Kentucky) Digital Storytelling Rubric


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Scott County Digital Storytelling Rubric

CATEGORY

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Excellent 3Good 2OK 1Needs ImprovementPoint of View Establishes a

purpose and

maintains a clearfocus; strong

awareness of

audience.

Focuses on a

purpose;

communicates withan audience.

Some evidence of

communicating with

an audience for aspecific purpose;

some lapse in focus.

Limited awareness

of audience and/or

purpose.

Dramatic Question Realization is

dramatically

different from

expectation.

Realization differs

from expectation.

Realization from

expectation is subtle.

Realization and

expectation do not

differ.Emotional Content Audience is deeply

and emotionally

engaged.

Audience is

emotionally

engaged.

Audience lapses in

emotional

engagement.

Audience has little

to no emotional

engagement.

The Gift of Your

VoiceConsistency in

presentation;

speaking slowly in a

conversational style.

Consistency in

presentation;

speaking in

conversational style.

Some consistency in

presentation; lapses

in conversational

style to monologue.

Breaking

consistency;

monologue style of

presentation.The Power of the

Soundtrack -

Emotion

Music stirs a rich

emotional response.

Music stirs an

emotional response.

Music is evident. Inappropriate choice

of music.The Power of the

Soundtrack-

Originality

All of the music is

original.

Over half of the

music is original.

Some, but less than

half, of the music is

original.

None of the music is

original.Economy Sequential

composition;

succinct; images

create an atmosphere

and/or tone, and may

communicate

symbolism and/or

metaphors.

Sequential

composition;

succinct; images

create an atmosphere

and/or tone.

Sequential

composition;

succinct; images are

controlled/logical

Sequential

composition; images

are acceptable.

Pacing Engaging rhythm;

use of punctuation;

suggestions ofemotions via sound

effects; use of "white

space"; enhanced

vitality

Engaging rhythm;

use of punctuation;

some suggestions ofemotions via sound

effects; use of "white

space"; evidence of

vitality.

Some rhythm; some

use of punctuation;

limited suggestionsof emotion via sound

effects; lapses in

vitality.

Mechanical rhythm;

limited use of

punctuation; limitedvitality.

Source: http://rubistar.4teachers.org


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Literature Review - Digital Storytelling

Abrahamson, C.E. (1998). Storytelling as a pedagogical tool in higher education.Education, 118(3), 440-451.

Ackerman, R., & Maslin-Ostrowski, P. (1995).Developing case stories: An analysis of the case method of

instruction and storytelling in teaching educational administration. Paper presented at the American

Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.

Banaszewski, T. (2002). Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom. Information Today.http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm

Burk, N. M. (1997). Using personal narratives as a pedagogical tool: Empowering students through stories.Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.

Brinkley, E.; Leneway, R.; Webb, A. & Harbaugh, C. (2002) Preparing for Digital Story Telling.http://t3.preservice.org/wmu/Preparing%20for%20Digital%20Story%20Telling.htm

Center for Digital Storytelling. http://www.storycenter.org

Clandinin, D. J., & Connelly, F. M. (1999).Narrative Inquiry: Experience and story in qualitative research.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Connelly, F. M., & Clandinin, D. J. (1990). Stories of experience and narrative inquiry.Educational

Researcher, 19(4), 2-14.

Denning, S. (2001). The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations.Boston: Butterworth Heinemann

DeSalvo, L. (1999). Writing as a Way of Healing: how telling our stories transforms our lives. Boston:Beacon Press.

Fulford, R. (1999). The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture. New York: Broadway

Books

Howell, D. D. & Howell, D. K. (2003)Digital Storytelling: Creating an eStory. Worthington, OH: Linworth

Publishing.

Jonassen, D. H. (2003). Designing research-based instruction for story problems.Educational PsychologyReview, 15(3), 267-296.

Jonassen, D.H. & Hernandez-Serrano, J. (2002). Case-based reasoning and instructional design using stories

to support problem solving.Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(2), 65-77.Kreber, C. (2001). Learning Experientially through case studies? A conceptual analysis. Teaching in Higher

Education, 6(2), 217-228.

Kreps, G. L. (1998). The power of story to personalize, enrich, and humanize communication education: My

own story about having fun spinning tales, and illustrating key points in the classroom. Paper

presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, New York, NY.

Lambert, J. (2002)Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community. Berkeley, CA: Digital Diner

Press.Lauritzen, C. & Jaeger, M.Integrating Learning Through Story: The Narrative Curriculum. Albany, NY:

Delmar PublishersLathem, S.A. (2005) Learning Communities and Digital Storytelling: New Media for Ancient Tradition. Society for

Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2005

Lathem, S.A., Morris, J.L, Vandersall, K. (2004) PT3 FEAT To Portfolio Connection. Society for Information

Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2004(1), 3434-3439. [Online]. Available

http://dl.aace.org/14941

Levin, B. B. (2003). Case studies of teacher development: An in-depth look at how thinking about pedagogy

develops over time.Liedtka, J. The promise and peril of video cases: Reflection on their creation and use. Journal of Management

Education, 25(4), 409-424.


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Lipman, D. (1995). The Storytelling Coach: How to Listen, Praise, and Bring Out Peoples Best. Little Rock:August House Publishers, Inc.

Maguire, J. (1998). The Power of Personal Storytelling: Spinning Tales to Connect with Others. New York:

Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam.

McDrury, J., & Alterio, M. (2000). Achieving reflective learning using storytelling pathways.Innovations inEducation and Teaching International, 38(1), 63-73.

McDrury, J., Alterio, M. (2003)Learning through Storytelling in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page.Meade, E. (1995). Tell It by Heart: women and the healing power of story. Chicago: Open Court

Meadows, D. (2003) Digital Storytelling: Research-Based Practice in New Media. Visual Communication.2003; 2: 189-193.

Mellon, C.A. (1999). Digital Storytelling: Effective learning through the internet.Education Technology,39(2), 46-50.

Mergendoller, J. & Thomas, J. (2004) Managing Project-Based Learning: Principles from the Field. Buck

Institute for Education. http://www.bie.org/research/pbl/index.php

Moon, J. (1999)Reflection in Learning and Professional Development. London: Kogan Page.Moon, J. A. (2004).A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London:

RoutledgeFalmer.

Paull, C. (2002) Self-perceptions and social connections: Empowerment through digital storytelling in adulteducation. Dissertation published by University of California, BerkeleyPorter, B. (2004)DigiTales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories. Sedalia, CO: DigiTales StoryKeepers.

http://www.digitales.us

Rossiter, M. (2002).Narrative and stories in adult teaching and learning.

Rusche, D. H. (2004).A comparative study of various digital storytelling programs.http://idt.emporia.edu/graduateprojects/rusche/index2.htm

Schank, R. (1991) Tell Me a Story: A New Look at Real and Artificial Memory. Atheneum

Schank, R.C. (1990). Tell me a story: Narrative and intelligence. Evanston, IL: Northwestern UniversityPress.

Schn, D. (1991) The Reflective Turn: Case Studies in and on Educational Practice. New York: Teachers

College Press.Simmons, A. (2001). The Story Factor: inspiration, influence, and persuasion through the art of storytelling.New York: Basic Books.

Standley, M. (2003, June). Digital Storytelling: Using new technology and the power of stories to help ourstudents learn--and teach. Cable in the Classroom, 16-18.

http://www.ciconline.com/Enrichment/Teaching/learningwithtechnology/magarticles/mag_0603_digita

l_storytelling.htm

Standley, M. & Ormiston, M. (2003)Digital Storytelling with PowerPoint. Eugene: Visions Technology in

Education.

Stepanek, M. (2000). Tell me a (digital) story.Business Week(3681).

Stone, R. (2004). The Healing Art of Storytelling - A Sacred Journey of Personal Discovery. New York:

Authors Choice Press.Stuckey, N. (1995). Performing oral history: Storytelling and pedagogy. Communication Education, 44, 1-14.

Thomas, J. (2000). A Review of Research on Project-Based Learning. Prepared for the AutoDesk

Foundations. http://www.bie.org/research/pbl/index.php

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Weigel, V. B. (2002).Deep Learning for a Digital Age: Technologys Untapped Potential to Enrich Higher

Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Wood, D. R. (1992). Teaching narratives: A source for faculty development and evaluation.HarvardEducational Review (Vol. 62, pp. 535).


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Wood, J. B. P., Iris A. (1996). Distance learning: Videoconferences as vehicles for faculty development ingerontology/geriatrics. Educational Gerontology (Vol. 22, pp. 105): Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Zubizarreta, J. (2004). The Learning Portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing.

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Digital Storytelling Research Design Deep Learning Tool